Parius nodded the slightest of nods, but said nothing in response.
“I saw this blade in the prince’s possession,” continued Emethius. “But after the battle at Imel Katan the blade vanished. When I questioned Meriatis regarding the sword’s whereabouts, he could not provide a sound answer. He has become very ill, my lord, stricken by the Blackheart it would seem. From his account, I would deduce that the Calabanesi stole the blade from him. But it could just as easily be locked away in High Lord Valerius’s vault or in the possession of a soldier who claimed it as a souvenir after the battle.”
The information clearly displeased Parius, and his grasp upon the throne stiffened. “This is as close to the truth as you can recall?”
“It is, my lord, but this causes me confusion,” answered Emethius. “Doesn’t the Covenant forbid the gods from directly interfering with the lesser races? If the Calabanesi actually took the sword from Meriatis, wouldn’t that be a violation of the Covenant?”
“That is how things should be, but not always how they are,” answered Parius. “You can attest to this first hand, no doubt.” As he spoke he cast his eyeless gaze upon Lillian.
Lillian stared back unapologetically. “I saw no choice but to intervene when you were attacked by the Calabanesi in the forest,” said Lillian, speaking up in her own defense.
“That was you who drove away the Calabanesi?” Emethius remembered the blue flame that seemed to fall from the sky like a bolt of lighting.
Lillian gave no answer. Emethius suspected she had already disobeyed some rule of Parius’s court.
“In their efforts to track us down, the Calabanesi have broken the Covenant twice,” said Parius. “Once against Meriatis, and once again in the forest when they attacked you and your companion.”
“It’s not just that. The Calabanesi have mobilized the Perim Lu, my lord,” added Lillian, confirming for the first time that the men who had chased Emethius and Malrich halfway across Emonia were in fact the descendants of Fenis’s yellow-eyed sons.
“If all of this is true, the Calabanesi are desperate,” said Parius.
“What would make the gods so desperate?” pressed Emethius. Lillian had warned him against asking too many questions, but he had risked his life to get here, and he didn’t intend to leave without some answers.
When Parius didn’t respond, Lillian did. “The Calabanesi are desperate because they are afraid of what we will do.” Parius looked at her, clearly displeased that she was speaking out of turn. She continued anyway. “As you have probably already surmised, we are rebels, Emethius. Our plan is two-pronged. Meriatis served as our agent in Mayal, plotting the overthrow of the religious establishment. Meanwhile, Lord Parius and I worked amongst the Calabanesi, building an army of like-minded gods.”
“Like-minded? What is your final goal?”
“To destroy the Shadow and end the scourge of the Blackheart.”
Emethius felt his knees go weak. “I thought the Shadow was a false god,” said Emethius. “Revered by the ignorant and evil, but no more a threat to the living than a ghost.”
“Valio, Paseran, the Shadow, call the spirit what you want, but do not mistake him as a false god,” said Parius. “If anyone should bear the title of fraud it would be the Calabanesi. The Shadow is a true god, one of the original three. Within him lies the greatest portion of the Sundered Soul. At the close of the last era, the Calabanesi imprisoned the evil spirit, making him their slave.”
Lillian nodded gravely. “But the Shadow creeps as it ever does. So while Valio’s physical form is imprisoned within the stone crag of Mount Calaban, the tendrils of his evil spirit reach all across Eremel. One by one he is claiming souls into his dominion.”
Emethius envisioned Herald Carrick’s map, and the lines radiating from Mount Calaban. Then he remembered the reaching tentacles from his nightmare. It was only a dream, he reassured himself. Even so, he looked down at his feet, half expecting to see tentacles creeping up his leg.
“Your people are mistaken; the Blackheart is not a disease,” continued Lillian. “It is merely the symptoms of the Shadow taking possession of a mortal soul. The Sundered Soul wants ever to converge, and with each additional soul Valio claims, his power grows.”
“That is why the affliction rates are rising,” said Emethius.
Lillian nodded. “Soon, the Calabanesi will not be able to keep Valio imprisoned. Despite the warning signs, the gods refuse to believe this danger exists. We took matters into our own hands, and conspired to slay Valio with the fabled blade Shadowbane. But just as we were about to set our plan in motion, we were betrayed by one of our fellow conspirators.”
“His name is Tyronious,” said Parius. “He is a lesser god amongst the Calabanesi, but brutal and clever. By betraying us, he hoped to raise his status.”
“Tyronious is the same god that attacked you in the forest,” added Lillian. “He was responsible for seeing to our execution. Obviously he failed, and he is now desperate to correct his mistake.”
Lord Parius nodded. “When it became apparent that Tyronious had betrayed us and that our capture was nigh, I ordered Meriatis to hide Shadowbane. The Calabanesi couldn’t force him to reveal its whereabouts without violating the Covenant. What I failed to see until it was too late, was that the Shadow had crept into Meriatis’s heart. Whether Valio claimed Meriatis’s soul on purpose, or it was pure happenstance, I cannot say. Either way, the end result is the same.”
“Does that mean Meriatis is a puppet to Valio’s will?”
“Valio cannot take control of a body until after the soul has fully turned,” said Parius. “This can take years, and one of your headsmen typically intervenes before this comes to fruition. Even so, the Shadow’s taint enlivens every vile thought and dark ambition.”
“We believe the affliction is what led Meriatis to rebel,” said Lillian. “His mind became clouded and unsound, and he foolishly thought he could defeat the gods all by himself.”
“Meriatis’s rebellion was a complete disaster,” said Emethius. “Thousands died; nothing was accomplished save death and destruction.”
“Then you underestimate the power of an idea,” said Parius. “Meriatis sowed the seeds of discord like few ever have. A doubt has been planted in the minds of many. Are the Calabanesi truly gods? Can the Blackheart be cured? Can the Calabanesi be overthrown? These are dangerous ideas, even if they originated from a madman. As we speak, the Calabanesi have agents in Mayal plotting to discover Meriatis’s whereabouts so they can murder him. They will not rest while Meriatis lives. Under no circumstances will they allow a heretic to sit upon the Throne of Roses.”
“Then I need to get back to Mayal,” said Emethius, feeling a sudden urgency. “High Lord Valerius must be made aware of the threat to his son’s life.”
“Lillian will see that you arrive home safely,” said Parius. “Thank you for your effort, Emethius. The information you have brought me was at great personal peril. Now, if you will excuse me, I must consider our next step.” Parius stood, signaling that Emethius was dismissed.
Emethius didn’t budge. “I have traveled halfway across the world to provide you with this information,” began Emethius, scrounging up every bit of courage he possessed. “I request a favor for a favor. Meriatis deserves a cure.”
“Then you have come here in search of a gift I cannot give,” said Parius. All hint of hospitality slipped from his voice, and his tone shifted to a grating growl. “You have brought nothing but trouble to my private sanctuary. Since Lillian rescued you, I have been in a near constant battle with the seeing eyes of Calaban. They search everywhere, through walls, and roofs, and earth, testing the limits of my enchantment. It has taken all of my strength to keep us hidden these past few days. This morning, the Calabanesi departed, granting me a short reprieve. But they will return, stronger than before and in greater number, and then our defeat will be certain. So while you have eaten my food, rested in my bed, and read my books, growing strong in the ass
ertion that you understand the gods, I have waged war. Now, I have heard enough. I forbid you to utter another word in my presence. Go!”
• • •
Malrich nearly jumped from his stool when Emethius burst into the parlor. Emethius’s anger had run away from him, and his hands were shaking beyond control. He balled his fists in a vain attempt to rein in his emotions. It didn’t help.
“What happened?” asked Malrich. He stepped aside, letting Emethius storm about the room in a blind rage. Emethius picked up a cup and sent it crashing into the wall. When that did nothing to cool his blood, he picked up a chair and smashed it against the floor. He reached for a vase, but found Malrich blocking his path.
“What are you doing?” demanded Malrich.
When Emethius did not answer him, Malrich grabbed Emethius by the shoulders and slammed him into the wall. The plaster cracked from the force. “What are you doing?” he repeated, his voice purposefully calm as he stared Emethius down with his lone eye.
“I failed, Mal.”
“Lord Parius won’t give you the cure.” Malrich nodded knowingly. “It’s what I feared all along.”
“I was so certain,” said Emethius huskily. “Perhaps the Calabanesi were right to condemn him.”
“Lillian and Parius are gods, Emethius,” said Malrich. “No matter whose side they claim to be on, there’s no avoiding the fact that they just see the world differently. They will never truly understand the mortal condition. No matter what we do, we will always be victims to their whims.”
Emethius threw off Malrich’s grasp and did a circuit around the room, tearing every tapestry from the wall. One by one, he tossed them into a pile in the center of room. He began to add pieces of furniture to the growing mound - a table, a pair of chairs, a couch. He even toppled a large cupboard onto the pile, spilling its contents of tankards and plates across the floor.
“Lord Parius is being hunted by the Calabanesi,” declared Emethius, sounding half-mad. “That is why we were pursued by the Perim Lu and attacked in the forest. He’s a fugitive. I say we send the Calabanesi a message they cannot miss. Perhaps they will deal with us more fairly.” Emethius yanked a candle from a wall sconce and held it over the pile. “Let’s see how well these illusions burn.”
A howling wind suddenly tore through the room causing the candle’s flame to gutter then extinguish. The room plunged into darkness, save for a dim luminous globe that hovered near the doorway.
“You would doom yourself and your friend because the lord of this house will not help you?” challenged Lillian coolly. She stepped into the room with a lantern in hand. “There is a wildness about the talsani I do not understand.” She set the lantern down on the fire mantel. “I think it would be wise to keep you and an open flame apart for a while.”
Emethius took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “I am not trying to seek revenge, if that is what you think. But I did not travel halfway across the world to be denied.”
“Yet you have done just that,” said Lillian. “Lord Parius abides to his own divine laws, completely and without falter. I warned you of this before you entered the court. He will not aid you — no word or rash deed will change this truth.”
“Then why did he save us?” asked Malrich.
“He didn’t. That was my choice,” replied Lillian. “Were it up to Parius, you both would have died, your bodies gutted and sacrificed to the black god of the Cul. This is not because he is cruel; it’s because he believes in the importance of the Covenant. He can advise, and he most definitely has in the past, but he will not use his powers to physically interfere with the fates of mortals. Even as an outcast, he still holds the Covenant supreme.”
“Then Meriatis will die,” said Emethius.
“Yes, that is how Lord Parius would have it,” said Lillian. “That is, unless mortal hands can find a cure.”
For a long time the room hung in silence. Emethius’s rage was replaced by a heavy sullenness. He felt his chest tighten. His tear-rimmed eyes throbbed.
Lillian placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I have my own interpretation of the Covenant that binds the acts of the divine. If in folly a god harms one of the lesser races, it is within my right to correct that error.”
She reached up to her crown, and plucked the two gemstones loose. They glowed with fervent light when they came in contact with her skin, shimmering yellow and then blue. “I sent Meriatis down this path, thus his actions are my responsibility.” She held out the stones, presenting one to Emethius and the other to Malrich.
Emethius was stunned beyond words. He carefully took the stone from her hands and held it up to the light, hoping he might discern its healing properties by peering through the opaque surface. It looked like a moonstone, but as he held it up a flicker of light began to shimmer in the heart of the stone. There is magic within.
“Sundering Stones,” explained Lillian. “They are one of the rarest gems in the world, remnants from the forging of the earth. They can absorb the power of the divine, and in the case of the Blackheart, they can leech the taint of the Shadow from an afflicted body.”
Malrich stared at his own stone, dumbfounded. “I... I can’t accept this,” he stammered. “It’s not fair. There are only two stones, yet the number of people afflicted with the Blackheart are too many to count.”
Lillian reached forward and gently closed Malrich’s hand around the stone. “Take heart, Malrich. For I intend to cure everyone before my days are through.”
“How?” pressed Malrich.
“Simple,” said Lillian, laughing. “I intend to destroy the taint at its root. I’m going to overthrow the gods and destroy the Shadow that Creeps.
“Prince Meriatis wasn’t lying,” muttered Malrich quietly, almost to himself. A grim satisfaction came over his face.
Overjoyed, Emethius clutched his own stone to his chest. He could not guarantee what future lay in store for Meriatis, but within Emethius’s grasp was the cure, and for now that was enough. “Thank you,” he managed.
“I see it as my duty,” said Lillian. She wiped the tears from Emethius’s cheeks, and as she did, her face hardened. “But do not fall into false relief. The true struggle has just begun.”
“What comes next?” asked Emethius.
“War,” answered Lillian. “The scope of which the world has never seen. The tainted will battle the pure. Gods will battle gods. And in the end, mortals may be forced to battle the divine. It is the only path forward. But first we must escape. Bi Ache is no longer safe. The Calabanesi have been delayed by my master’s awesome power. But, by finding their vision blocked, they will know for certain that we are near. Soon they will come against this sanctuary en masse.”
Lillian placed a reassuring hand on either of their shoulders. “Rest well tonight, for tomorrow at first light we depart. Together we will journey through the Cultrator, and for many nights thereafter we will find no sanctuary from the menace of the Cul.”
AFTERWORD
Thank you for reading The Wayward Prince. Other books in the series are currently in the works. For more information on my upcoming novels visit www.leehhaywood.com. There you can sign up for my newsletter to receive notifications about future sales events, send me an email, or connect with me on Facebook and Twitter. I would love to hear from you.
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A WORD OF THANKS
I have read again and again, that for every author, there is someone in the background carrying them through the highs and lows of authorship. That has certainly been true for me. Needless to say, if it were not for my wife’s unwavering support this book would not be in your hands. She has served as a soundboard for ideas and an editor for my writing since this story was just
a mere inkling in the back of my mind. She has been beside me for every step along this very rocky road to publication, and I couldn’t be more thankful to have such a splendid collaborator, best friend, and wife.
A special thanks is owed to my team of betareaders; their feedback has been priceless. They were the first adventurers into the world of Elandria, and the lack of typos can largely be attributed to their discerning eyes. I am endlessly grateful.
Lastly, a nod of gratitude to my parents. They raised me to have the discipline and persistence to pursue my passion, and provided me with the rich childhood (and pile of books) necessary for my imagination to blossom. Thus, I write.
-LHH
BOOKS BY LEE H. HAYWOOD
The Gods and Kings Chronicles
The Order – A standalone prequel
A Wizard’s Dark Dominion
The Guardian
The Guardian Stone
Fractured Throne
Fractured Throne
The Wayward Prince
The Shadow Behind the Throne (Spring 2019)
Empire of Madness (Summer 2019)
Available in ebook and softbound formats.
Visit www.leehhaywood.com for more details.
The Wayward Prince Page 17